Blepharoplasty questions please

My opthalmologist does this surgery along with other facial procedures.  I primarily want filler in my marionette lines, but she said that if my fatty droopy upper eyelids can be demonstrated to be affecting my vision that Medicare may pay for the blepharoplasty.

If you have had a blepharoplasty please tell me the good bad and ugly.  Would you do it again?  Did you have to have general anesthesia?  What was recovery like?  Did you have to take narcotics?

Also do you think that weight loss had any effect or worsening of your upper eyelid issue?  I am not at goal weight and am wondering if I need to wait until I seem to be finished loosing weight. 

Thanks in advance. 

Becky

I had lower blepharoplasty in June.  I developed signficant scar tissue inside the corner of one eye that led to drooping.  I will have a revision surgery to this in February.  For months the plastic surgeon has talked about having to do a skin graft and silly me I always assumed that the graft would somehow go under the skin.  Yesterday when I had my final appointment before the surgery I finally understood that the graft would be on the outside.  It become clear when the surgeon said "after a while the graft will not be noticeable".  I am a little freaked about this. 

Red

Hi Red,

I would be freaked out also.  Do you wish now that you hadn't had the procedure?  Was it the only facial procedure that you had done?  What is involved in the revision?  General anesthesia?  A long recovery?

I am trying to study-up on this procedure before I go for the consult and vision evaluation.  I am pretty sure that if Medicare won't pay for it I won't do it.  But I am going to try the filler for my marionette lines for sure.  I think that will make a huge difference in how I am perceived and treated, especially by strangers.  Everyone assumes I am mad right now. 

Best wishes for your procedure. 

Becky

Becky-
I do not regret having the surgery done.  They did a brow lift at the same time and that will need to be revised as well.  I should add that a different surgeon will be doing the revisions to my face.  Yes the first procedure and the next procedure will be done under general anesthesia.  I will probably be in the hospital over the weekend this time.  I generally have to stay in the hospital a few days after any plastics because of my clotting disorders. 

He will be taking the skin for the graft from in front of my ear.  Since he is doing that he will take skin from both sides so I will get a little nip -tuck in the process.  He may not do the brow revision at the same time.  At one point he said that we would look at doing it six weeks later.  The plastic surgeon has consulted with an eye surgeon about my revision.  At one point he thought I would need to see the eye dude but later told me that he sat down with the eye guru and they reviewed my pictures and the eye guy gave him his take on the revision.  At one point also he thought he might want the eye guy in the operating room with him but now does not think that is necessary.

I know what you mean about the lines -- I have been promised a face lift and I really cannot wait.  My neck looks terrible as do the lines around my mouth and chin.

Red

Forgive me, but I'd be concerned about an opthamologist doing Plastic Surgery.  Yes, ANY Dr. can "do" plastic surgery legally, but it's common knowledge that ONLY a BOARD-CERTIFIED Plastic Surgeon should really be doing so!!!!  There's a much bigger risk factor by not have a bd. certif. P.S. do your work - trust me.  Think carefully, please.  Do a search on Google about P.S. done by non-certified Dr's and see what you find.  I think most here will also concur. 

I guess I was thinking that if I wanted anyone messing around my eyes I would want it to be an ophtalmologist but I take your point seriously and I appreciate it.

Becky

I had a blepharoplasty done in June 2007 by a othamologist who was a lastic surgeon for eyes and it was done under local, Insurance covered it cause I failed the visual field eye test , he wanted to do more extensive surgery but wantd 2000.00 more, at  the time I didn't have the money so needless to say he only took enough off that my vision wasn't affected. Last month I had my regular PS do it again, see my pix for results, they look great & are still swollen I know it is better now cause the sun really bothers me my eyes are opened wider.
I was done under general this time cause I had my arms done at the same time. eyes don't really hurt it is discomfort & annoying cause you still have to blink and your eyes are blurry from the eye ointment and when you have to put the ice packs on your eyes you can't see for those 20 minutes , all in all it is fine after like 3 days. I don't think it was from my weight loss cause my Mom was thin & she needed it done. I didn't need anything for pain either time.
But I waould have  board certified PS do it rather then the opthamologist
good luck\
Susan

I had Eye lid surgery last May.  Before the surgery my eye lids were blocking my vision.  They interfered with my reading and driving.  I had a forehead lift along with upper and lower eye lid surgery.

Would you do it again? I would do the forehead and upper Eye Lid surgery again .  They solved my vision issues.  But not the lower lid  itwas just for looks and  for me I did not think it was worth the money.   My lower lids did not bag much before the surgery. 

Did you have to have general anesthesia?  Yes it was a general anesthesia done at an out pt. surgery center.

Did you have to take narcotics?  Yes for the first couple of days and then at night to help  sleep for a couple days more.  Most of the discomfort was from the forehead lift.  For just the eyes I may not have needed narcotics.

What was recovery like? You have to sleep with your head elevated  for a while.  I slept in a recliner.   My eye lids were swollen and put pressure on my eye balls and this temporarily effected my vision.  I could see the TV without my glasses.  I did not get black eyes, just the green yellow look of a healing bruise. After about about 5 days I was ready to go out in public.   I was off work for about a week and a half it was easier for my boss to schedule it that way.
 
do you think that weight loss had any effect or worsening of your upper eyelid issue? Yes But it was only one factor and only minor. Genitic played the biggest role along with the fact I had Bells Palsy.  I did not wait until I reached goal because I think Wt. loss was only  a minor cause.

I had my surgery done by a plastic surgion.  My opthalmologist would have done the surgery but he would have taken more skin from my eye lids then the plastic surgion.  This increases the risk that you will not be able to close your eyes properly.   He also would have only put a couple of stitches in my forehead and this would have only be a tempory fix for my forehead droop..  I would have needed to have the surgery redone every 3-5 years. 

I had to pay out of pocket more for having the a plastic surg do the work but it was worth it to me.

Good luck   brenda

Before- 12/08 after 200 pd loss    4 days after upper/lower bleph   July 2009- 3 months after
                                                                     and lower face lift                  2nd lower bleph (lil' retouched)

*note: middle picture makes an excellent case for using an opthamologist.
I lost a good bit of my vision as well. My lower bleph still isn''t right (picture was slightly retouched) and my scarring's not fading well.

Actually the middle picture makes a good case for forgoing the whole idea.  You look GORGEOUS now, but you had much more done than just your eyelids, right?